Table of contents for April 2019 in FineScale Modeler

For sci-fi buffs like me, it’s common knowledge that the T-47 airspeeder was modified in The Empire Strikes Back into a quick short-range attack craft that could handle the extreme cold on the ice planet, Hoth. But how would it function on a water planet? To answer my own question, I constructed a modified variant with lighter armament, wing extensions, and larger fuel reserves to handle longer ranges across a fictional sea. Bandai’s excellent 1/48 scale snowspeeder was easy and fun to turn into a unique seaspeeder. Modifications First, the long gun barrels were removed and just the barrel ends were attached ahead of the front supports to give them a more snub-nosed look, 1. I also used rod and tube styrene to add additional gunports to the front section…

After seeing Star Trek in 2009, I was inspired to build a model of the USS Kelvin, the short-lived Starfleet ship seen in the film’s opening moments. The first challenge was finding good references and images of the ship from which to create CAD drawings. The discussion forum at StarshipModeler.com and the members there proved especially helpful. As more information and photos became available, I collected them into a binder I called my guidebook. What started as a casual project, evolved into a complicated scale model. Based on those drawings, I selected the saucer section from AMT’s 1/537 scale refit Enterprise as a starting point. Other pieces were turned from PVC pipe of various diameters, as well as engineering plastic, brass, and aluminum. To connect the saucer with the upper…

Recently, I was asked to build each of the aircraft types flown by U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron 86 (VFA-86), known as the Sidewinders. As a modeler, this was a fun project because it allowed me to build several different fighters. Also, it was rewarding for the squadron’s pilots because they are able to see the lineage and history of which they are a part. The Sidewinders was activated in 1951 as VF-921, a reserve squadron at NAS St. Louis flying F4U-4 Corsairs.Two years later it was designated as VF-84 and flew Bearcats followed by Panthers until 1955. Along with a new aircraft, the F7U-3M Cutlass, the squadron got a new designation, VA-86. Under that label, the squadron later operated Skyhawks, then A-7 Corsair IIs — including four combat deployments to…

Looking to repurpose obsolete T-34 tanks, the Egyptian army mounted 122mm D-30 howitzers in a modified turret. The West referred to these self-propelled guns as the T-34/122, but the Egyptian designation was Abu Zabaal T122. Thirty vehicles were produced between 1956 and 1973. Until now, the only options to model the vehicle were a few resin conversions or a Maquette styrene kit, neither option easy to do. Ryefield’s first T-34 variant comprises 504 crisply molded plastic parts with almost no ejector-pin marks or flash, a single piece of wound brass wire is included as is a vinyl dust cover for the gun and a photo-etched (PE) fret of 27 parts. No decals are included, but color profiles by Ammo by Mig Jimenez show three marking options. The instruction has one…

The M3A1 was developed prior to World War II for the U.S. Army and while American military use was limited, Soviet, British, Commonwealth, and French units received thousands of them through Lend-Lease. Tamiya’s all-new M3A1 marks the first time the Japanese manufacturer has kitted the scout car. Molded in olive drab plastic, the parts are crisp and free of flash. Features include: a detailed suspension and chassis, five Soviet soldiers, and clear parts for the windshield and headlights. The armored radiator cover shutters can be posed open or closed and the windshield’s armored cover and the separate upper portion of the cab doors can be positioned up or down. All of the chassis parts including the drivetrain, exhaust, and suspension went together without issues and, once completed, looks very convincing.…

In its first big-screen appearance in 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the starship Enterprise looked very different. The basic structure was still there, but the size and shape of nearly every element had changed. In addition, to increase visual interest on large screens, the surfaces were painted with varying shades and sheens. Under studio lights, this patterning, which came to be known as Aztec paneling, gave the filming miniature the appearance of being built from many parts. In the Star Trek films and TV series that followed, many new ship designs would emerge, but the Aztec patterning continued to be added, even to the CGI models used in later shows and movies. Modelers have replicated this pattern with paint since 1979, but decals to represent the pattern have become…

Fall in Minnesota’s Twin Cities means NordicCon, the annual model contest conducted the last Saturday in September. The show is organized and run by the Minnesota Military Figure Society (MMFS), Odd Ball Modeling Group (OMG), RPM Car Club, and the Twin Cities Aero Historians (TCAH). NordicCon 2018 saw 432 entries, plus 25 Junior entries.…

The Cessna 195 featured a radial Jacobs R-755 engine and a strut-free cantilevered wing. It could carry four passengers and pilot. The U.S. Army and USAF bought 83 195s, designating them LC-126 (the L prefix stood for cold weather, the C for cargo). A few were used in Alaska for rescue and light utility duties. Lift here! Models is a Serbian outfit, producing small kits made in soft light gray resin. The attractive packaging holds a one-piece fuselage, one-piece wing, basic cabin interior details, floats, N struts, tail planes, cowl, engine, prop, and other small details. Although listed on the instructions, my kit was missing the oars that were to be attached to the floats. However, beautifully printed decals that provide markings for one LC-126A with Arctic rescue markings. With…

What’s that rumble I hear just over the horizon? Could it be the roar and grumble of an M60 or T-90 advancing on Buffalo, N.Y.? Possible, as the annual AMPS (Armor Modeling and Preservation Society) contest and show is rolling into town May 9-11. This year’s big armor gig is at the Buffalo Grand Hotel, and FSM will be there. More info: amps-armor.org. We enjoy all the shows we attend and, as you know, shoot hundreds, er, thousands, of photos at each one. If only we could get all our pictures into a regular issue, or even our annual special issue like last fall’s Great War Scale Modeling. Alas, we still have a few extras we’d like to share. So enjoy these now, and we’ll hope to see you at…

Dioramas? We’ve got dioramas! Yep, you responded with a variety of dioramas after we asked, in a previous issue, what scenes you’ve been working on. Here are a few we liked, and we have some others we’ll share. But feel free to send yours in, too! Van McLemore of Wichita, Kan., sends us the above vignette of a 1/35 scale Panzer IV Ausf G from Dragon. Van says he “always wants to try to tell a story with my models, so almost all of my works are dioramas. This one shows that after a hard day of battle the troops need to unwind a bit. I used Tamiya acrylic paints and the model is pretty much just out of the box, except for using Friulmodel metal tracks. The figures are…

Like many aircraft modelers, I’ve had superdetailing projects derailed by a popped seam or by realizing I hadn’t properly aligned the tail planes. A recent such disaster led me to the conclusion that I needed to get back to basics. Building out-of-the-box is a great way to hone construction and finishing techniques — you’re forced to get the most out of what comes with the kit. I took two 1/72 scale Tamiya kits, the birdcage Corsair and Zero Model 21, to concentrate on basic assembly steps as well as basic painting techniques that I learned building armor. Here, I focus on the Corsair.…

If color had been the hallmark of U.S. Navy aircraft for the first 70 years, the subsequent decades have been dominated by shades of gray and low-visibility markings. The monochrome transition started in 1977 when the gloss white undersides and control surfaces were done away with in favor of overall gloss light gull gray. This change was done to eliminate a concern about the different top and bottom colors giving enemy pilots a clue about the direction the aircraft was turning. The bright and colorful squadron markings and insignia were retained, but not for long. By the early 1980s, the Navy had switched to subdued grays, known as low visibility or “lo-vis” to make planes more difficult to see and engage in combat. Officially referred to as the Tactical Paint…

When British Challenger 2 tanks deployed to the Persian Gulf in preparation for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, they were hastily repainted. The dark green camouflage, at home in Northern Europe, was covered with a sand color appropriate for the desert. Contemporary photos of the vehicles show that new paint quickly succumbed to the ravages of sand, weather, and the crew. To replicate the effect, I mimicked the process in miniature with base coats, top coats, and cotton swabs. I built Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Challenger 2 out of the box but kept the subassemblies — chassis, hull, and turret — separate for painting. Road wheels and accessories were handled individually.…

The diminutive TKS and its two-man crew performed reconnaissance and infantry support for the Polish army in the 1930s. Light armor and a single machine gun for defense put the tankette at a severe disadvantage and many were lost during the German invasion of Poland. IBG packs a ton of detail into this tiny model — finished it’s about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide — including the engine and cooling system. The power plant and associated systems built quickly thanks to a low parts count and good fits. The tiny suspension and road wheels also went together quickly aided by clear locators. I was impressed by how well molded and crisp the bolt heads on the running gear are in this kit. After attaching the suspension to the…